We work at Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS), a charity that supports people infected and affected by HIV so this is a subject close to our hearts. After reading this article we wanted to give some information relevant to that piece, to give a better understanding.

The article states that the young man is awaiting ‘tests on Aids and HIV’. There is only one test and this is for HIV.

Aids is not something you can be tested for. It occurs when a person who already has HIV has a very weakened immune system and is diagnosed with one or more Aids defining illnesses such as cancer or reoccurring pneumonia.

It is not something that can be contracted, like HIV. An Aids diagnosis is made by a doctor and this is not a hugely common occurrence in the UK.

If you have been exposed to HIV it can take six to 12 weeks for detectable anti-bodies to develop. If you are tested before then you may well present a false negative test.

Again, if you have been exposed to HIV, hospitals can give you Post Exposure Prophylaxis (commonly known as PEP), an anti-HIV medication that must be taken for four weeks, to prevent someone becoming HIV positive.

PEP can only be taken up 72 hours after exposure to the virus. We would like to point out that PEP is not for casual prevention use and not all hospitals offer this medication.

Although there is no cure for HIV, medication has come a long way and it is now a manageable illness and not the death sentence many still presume it to be.

We as a charity work extremely hard to combat the stigma that still surrounds HIV and the best way to achieve this is through giving people accurate information.

We feel education is the key to understanding.

We really feel this young man was very brave by contacting the paper.

He stated himself: “I just wanted to raise awareness of drug safety in Reading.”

Sadly a great opportunity to raise awareness in the community with a young man willing to share his story to help others was overlooked in favour of a shock value story.

If you are concerned about any HIV related issues, please contact us here at TVPS or your local sexual health clinic. Be safe. Be protected. Get tested.